Written by

Zach Travis

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Zach Travis is a manager of the Wolverines blog Maize n Brew. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. Read his column every week here and contact him anytime at zwtravis@gmail.com.

The 2014 recruiting cycle will be important for Michigan for many reasons, but one of those is the effect it will have on the wide receiver depth chart.

The Wolverines are thin at wide receiver and have been for a couple seasons. Coach Brady Hoke's first recruiting class -- a partial class thrown together with the remains of what Rich Rodriguez had left -- didn't include a receiver, and this year’s depth chart contains just six on-scholarship receivers.

The 2012 class included two promising pickups, and the 2013 class will further help address depth issues, but since Hoke took over, receiver has been the least attended to offensive position. There have been as many tight ends brought to campus as wide receivers: five apiece. This is two fewer than the number of running backs.

Now 2014 is looking like the year in which Michigan really makes a move.

Already, the Wolverines have a commitment from borderline five-star receiver Drake Harris, a long, fluid athlete from Grand Rapids who looks like one of the best outside receiver prospects in the country. He is joined by Maurice Ways, an up-and-coming recruit from Birmingham Detroit Country Day that fits the mold of receivers Hoke and Co. are looking for: a.k.a. big.

All of a sudden, the generally agreed upon target for this year's class has shifted from three to four recruits in what it looking to be less than a 20-player class overall.

Last week, Michigan made a couple of scholarship offers to kids who spent the week at the school's four-day camp: high school teammates CB Brandon Watson and WR Freddy Canteen. Canteen, a three-star recruit out of Maryland, impressed the staff with his crisp route-running ability, and did well enough to earn himself an offer even as Michigan sits in good position with two other highly thought of recruits.

Artavis Scott has long been on Michigan's radar. The four-star slot receiver out of Florida is a dangerous playmaker in open space. He is teammates with OL commit Mason Cole and has been high on the Wolverines for a while. Michigan is thought to be the leader in his recruitment.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania receiver K.J. Williams, a bigger receiver at 6-feet-2 than the 5-10 Scott, was long thought to be simply waiting to commit to the Wolverines. While things surely aren't as clear cut for the four-star prospect as once thought, Michigan is still in good standing and should make it into Williams' top group when he does decide.

That is, if he will have an opening. Michigan coaches told Canteen when they offered that they were looking to take four receivers in this class, with two already in the fold.

With big-time recruits having been brought in everywhere else on offense, wide receiver finally is getting its due — and in a big way.